In today’s episode of As Told by Nomads, Tayo sits down with Celeste Warren, Vice President of Global Diversity and Inclusion Center of Excellence at Merck, to discuss what it means to be a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) champion. Celeste shares her personal experiences of feeling marginalized and attacked while attending an all-white school and working in predominantly white organizations, as well as how she uses those experiences to ensure that others do not feel the same way. The conversation also focuses on the increased focus on DEI since the murder of George Floyd and just what it takes to be a DEI ambassador.

The episode delves into how Celeste's journey into the field of DEI came from personal experiences and observations and encourages listeners to reflect on their own experiences and observations to see how they can champion people in their lives. Celeste also discusses her book on the culture of being a DEI ambassador and the importance of truly understanding and embracing the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion. She goes on to talk about how the murder of George Floyd was a perfect storm and how it was different from other incidents of violence against the black community. Looking forward, and highlighting the fact that the largest growing labor market is Generation Y, today’s episode proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the work culture needs to change accordingly, and is undeniably a must-listen for anyone looking to improve the culture of inclusion in their workplace both today and into the future.

.

The Finer Details of This Episode:

• Celeste Warren’s personal experiences of feeling marginalized and attacked
• The increased focus on DEI since the murder of George Floyd
•  What it takes to be a DEI ambassador
• Truly understanding and embracing the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Reflecting on your own experiences and observations 
• Celeste’s book, How to Be a Diversity and Inclusion Ambassador
• Engagement and education in DEI
• Understanding the environment around you and making other people feel seen, heard, and understood
• The importance of aligning DEI conversations to the values and standards of the company
• Having uncomfortable conversations in order to achieve a culture of inclusion
• DEI wrapped around every single issue 
• The divisiveness in the political space its impact on DEI
• Passing on the knowledge and passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion to future generations

Links: 

Connect with Celeste Warren: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/celeste-warren-she-her-3728784/

Book: https://crwdiversity.com/book/

Website: https://crwdiversity.com/

Connect with Tayo Rockson and the As Told By Nomads Podcast:

Tayo’s Website: https://tayorockson.com/

Tayo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tayorockson/

UYD Management: https://www.uydmanagement.com/

UYD Collective: https://tayorockson.com/uyd-collective

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.